On Wednesday morning, over 20,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pay their final respects to Pope Francis. A wave of subdued but heartfelt applause rippled through the crowd as his coffin was carried up the steps and into St. Peter’s Basilica.
The solemn Rite of Translation was led by the College of Cardinals, convened in Rome following the Pope’s passing. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, initiated the liturgical rite with a prayer for the late pontiff in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta.
In the opening prayer, Cardinal Farrell gave thanks for Pope Francis’ 12 years of ministry.
“As we now leave this home, let us thank the Lord for the countless gifts He bestowed on the Christian people through His servant, Pope Francis,” he prayed. “Let us ask Him, in His mercy and kindness, to grant the late Pope an eternal home in the kingdom of heaven, and to comfort with celestial hope the papal family, the Church in Rome, and the faithful throughout the world.”
The procession then moved through Santa Marta Square, passed under the Arch of the Bells, and entered St. Peter’s Square. The late Pope’s coffin was placed before the Altar of the Confession as the choir chanted the Litany of the Saints in Latin for the repose of his soul.
Cardinal Farrell led a brief Liturgy of the Word, which included a reading from the Gospel of John (17:24–26), highlighting Jesus’ prayer to the Father and His love for His disciples.
The rite concluded with the singing of the Salve Regina, a Marian hymn that begins, “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy.”
Following the ceremony, members of the College of Cardinals approached to pay their respects, followed by the faithful gathered inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Basilica will remain open to the public until midnight on Wednesday, from 7 a.m. to midnight on Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday.
Cardinal Farrell will preside over the sealing of Pope Francis’ coffin on Friday, April 25, at 8 p.m.
The Funeral Mass for Pope Francis will be held in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, April 26, at 10 AM, presided by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
He will be joined by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, consecrated religious, and lay faithful from around the world to bid farewell to Pope Francis.
At the end of the Mass on Saturday, the late Pope’s body will be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major where he will be buried.
